Does my high fecal calprotectin level point to bowel cancer?

I have been having abdominal discomfort throughout the last 3 months. Some weeks worse than others. At stages I have has loose bowel movement, but for the most part it's been normal. On occasions I have noticed blood, but on the outside and I know that I have suffered from anal tears numerous times over the last few years.

I did have a spell a couple years back where I was in and out of the doctors every other week for about 3 months with belly problems, from sharp pains to persistent tenderness what seems like all over. 

I have noticed that I am very gassy, but always but this down to IBS beforehand. Anyway, over the last couple of months I've had three sets of blood tests, including CRP, but these came back negative. I do however have a stool test which returned with what the doctor said was very high fecal calprotectin. i have a colonoscopy booked for in a month time. Should I be worried? I've seen so many posts online linking FC to Bowel Cancer. I'm trying not to worry myself to much. The doctor said that the chances are very low because I'm in my early 20s, but I don't want that to be overlooked.

IBD is suspected, but I just can't see it myself. It's driving me up the wall though. Anyone experienced anything similar or can offer advise :/?

Parents
  • Did you ever find out what your cause was? 

  • Hi, obviously your going through the same as me and looking answers. What your situation? 

  • Hey there! Just to let you know mine came back as over 6000 too, getting a colonoscopy this month. How did you get on?

  • Hi I'm 29 and FC came back as 1017 I'm still waiting on my referral to come through it was sent as 2 weeks urgent and 2 weeks was up yesterday so they must have a big back log maybe? I have suffered for many years on and off but I had severe severe stomach pains which resulted in diarrhea and then the next morning blood on its own twice in that day and then the next day blood in stool. So I'm not sure what it could be but still waiting hopefully hear off something soon 

  • Hey yes there is a big backlog - I only got an NHS appointment today! (I went private though as I didn't want to wait). The doc found ulcers in my lower colon and thinks I have IBD. I've been taking salofalk and that's been helping loads and thinks seem to have been getting back to normal with it after a few weeks, so fingers crossed! I would recommend doing your own research on what could help you - it could be inflammation in the body which diet can help with!

  • Hello I am so glad for you that you've been seen and you are taking something that reduces  your symptoms! Especially before Christmas too so you can enjoy it without that worry. Thank you for your advice I've still not been seen yet and still waiting xx

  • Oh no, I hope you get seen as soon as you can! Are you still getting the same symptoms? I've been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis now, and the blood and mucus comes from ulcers. Chances are if you're not getting any mucus passing then it could be something else – something innocent like fissures or piles! I found I could tell the difference because I would get excruciating stomach pain every time I needed to go which doesn't happen with those two things.

  • I hope so too, it seems to be taking a long time. I had one really bad episode of excruciating pain and loose stools and then the next morning just blood was passing and then mucus after that the bloody stools. I get really bad wind and stomach pains, feel sick, loose stools, constipation and bloody stools etc periods throughout the day/weeks it varies. 
    I'll just have to see what they say I've rang and tried to chase it apparently they've fast tracked me 2 weeks for an urgent appointment but it's already been nearly 5. Just blaming on covid.

    I'm glad you've got a diagnosis now that's something so they can start treating you with the right medication :-) xx

  • You poor thing, that sounds like me. Maybe see if your GP will give you a salofalk enema or any kind of anti inflammatory enema as that helped me as I was waiting to be seen - and stopped damage progressing. Also avoiding wheat and dairy helped too. And caffeine. Hope you get seen soon!

  • I'll ask about that, thank you so much for your advise! I hope so too fingers crossed it won't be long, have a lovely Christmas xx

  • Quick message from me while I pass the time in hospital.

    I was diagnosed in 2003 with Crohn's. Not sure on calprotectin levels, controlled with various meds from steroid to biologics to blessed imodium. I had multiple ulcers that raptured. Took a long time for me to recover and go into remission. Skip forward to 2017 and I'm being prepped for a left-hemicolectomy (removal of the left 3rd of the bowel) as the ruptured ulcers scarred up and with nothing to push the scars apart like on the external skin surface, the scars shrank until my large intestine was a few millimetres wide. Much drama later and I went into a 5yr remission almost to the day.

    5 weeks ago diarrhea hit and nothing could stop it. Imodium gave me some control but 7 toilet trips a day, dropping 14lb and feeling like a lorry hit me when I wake up, I go to the hospital 

    They admit me, many attractive and awkward samples later I have a Crohn's flare with calprotectin levels in excess of 3500. Steroid treatment iniaited and I should be out in a few days with a new management plan to boot.

    Short story, calprotectin can be high for many reasons, if you were tested without having diarrhea but recently can the flu. Yes it would be in the several hundred... Maybe less than 400. Elevated calprotectin levels over a sustained period of normal life, that's when you should be chatting with a gastroenterologist and letting James Cameron and his team have a look around you. 

    Regular colonoscopy's keeps a (stink) eye on the gut health, diet control gives you stability throughout your life, drugs do work (prescribed ones*) and not being embarrassed to discuss your issues with someone qualified is always a great (and sometimes funny) idea.

    The 2week wait that GP's are doing now is because of COVID delays and "normal" issues are being flagged as high priority normal issues. Which is a good thing! Just don't panic, if it was clearly a cancer symptom, a 2WW would be cut very short.

     

    Happy pooping everyone

  • Hi I know this post is over a year old but I've just been going through all the comments about calprotectin levels I'm having issues at the minute with my bowels 

     

    this all started after having my second child January this year via c section I started to get constipated but thought that was normal after having a baby which I know it can be as I was like this with my daughter but things started to get worse this time 

    every morning I get stomach cramps and urgency to go to the toilet and the pain will only go once I've been but I have been getting brow mucus after every bowel movements then I was getting urgency to the toilet with loose bowels and blood I went to the doctors he oreded a stool test to check for inflammation it came back abnormal at 157 so not massively highly but he said there is something going on with the symptoms I'm having and the stool tests so he said repeat it again on 2 weeks time 

    anyway all my symptoms disappeared for 2 months I was back having normal bowel movements but 2 weeks ago I have now got back ache cramps urgency mucus with bowel movements not clear mucus browny ‍♀️ I rang my GP back and he said I will need to do another stool test which I have and now I'm just waiting on my results and I should get them this week at some point he did refer me the first time to have a colonoscopy but currently pregnant and the hospital called me last week and said they don't like doing colon on people who are pregnant as it can causes probslem misscarges so I need to wait till I've and my baby and that's not till January I'm worried sick I'm sick of the back ache stomach cramps and the urgency constipation lose bowels mucus and more ......

     

    suppose I'll have wait and see what my results are this week he thinks it's some for of IBD but no one knows that until I have a colonoscopy ‍♀️ Just hope it's nothing to serious I have 2 small children and I'm currently 5 months pregnant 

     

    x

Reply
  • Hi I know this post is over a year old but I've just been going through all the comments about calprotectin levels I'm having issues at the minute with my bowels 

     

    this all started after having my second child January this year via c section I started to get constipated but thought that was normal after having a baby which I know it can be as I was like this with my daughter but things started to get worse this time 

    every morning I get stomach cramps and urgency to go to the toilet and the pain will only go once I've been but I have been getting brow mucus after every bowel movements then I was getting urgency to the toilet with loose bowels and blood I went to the doctors he oreded a stool test to check for inflammation it came back abnormal at 157 so not massively highly but he said there is something going on with the symptoms I'm having and the stool tests so he said repeat it again on 2 weeks time 

    anyway all my symptoms disappeared for 2 months I was back having normal bowel movements but 2 weeks ago I have now got back ache cramps urgency mucus with bowel movements not clear mucus browny ‍♀️ I rang my GP back and he said I will need to do another stool test which I have and now I'm just waiting on my results and I should get them this week at some point he did refer me the first time to have a colonoscopy but currently pregnant and the hospital called me last week and said they don't like doing colon on people who are pregnant as it can causes probslem misscarges so I need to wait till I've and my baby and that's not till January I'm worried sick I'm sick of the back ache stomach cramps and the urgency constipation lose bowels mucus and more ......

     

    suppose I'll have wait and see what my results are this week he thinks it's some for of IBD but no one knows that until I have a colonoscopy ‍♀️ Just hope it's nothing to serious I have 2 small children and I'm currently 5 months pregnant 

     

    x

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